Nas shared a story behind one of his most personal songs, and a moment that speaks volumes about Eminem’s priorities.
Nas’s 2012 track “Daughters” was a standout from his album Life Is Good. At the time, he considered two high-profile features: Jay-Z and Eminem, as he told the same year in an interview with Vibe magazine. Neither happened, and now we know why, at least in Em’s case.
In a recent interview with Joe Budden, Nas said he had sent “Daughters” to Eminem, hoping he would jump on the track. Em respectfully declined.
“He had spent so much time speaking on daughters”, Nas recalled. “He was like, ‘Thank you, but I told my daughter I’m not doing any more songs directly about daughters at the moment because that’s a sensitive issue with all the music I put out’”.
Em’s reason wasn’t artistic but personal. For him, talking about his family was a sensitive issue. Then Nas added: “He was like, ‘Thank you, ’cause most people wanna do songs where they’re battling me. It was refreshing to get a record where you’re not coming for me’”.
A father first, always
This story reflects something longtime fans already know: Eminem’s daughters have always guided his decisions. Whether skipping tours, ignoring award ceremonies, or turning down major deals, he’s made it clear that their peace matters more than press or profit.
Even when Hailie was not even 18 years old, her opinion was important enough to put on hold the collab between two rap visionaries. Of course, as a teenager, she might have felt the emotional weight of being in the centre of her the father storytelling strongly. And now, we know, his more personal songs hit her in the feelings.
Once, on an episode of Just a Little Shady, Hailie shared how songs from The Death of Slim Shady affected her. She admits that both “Somebody Save Me” and “Temporary” bring her to tears every time she hears them, even accidentally.
“‘Temporary’ made me audibly sob”, she said. “The older I get, the less I can listen to any of those songs”.
Collaboration over competition
It’s also telling that Em appreciated the lack of battle energy in Nas’s request. In a genre obsessed with competition, he welcomed a feature that valued mutual respect over one-upping.
Eventually, Nas and Eminem did collaborate on 2021’s “EPMD 2”, a track full of bravado, but also legacy. It wasn’t “Daughters”. But it was still a moment of hip hop giants finding common ground.
Nas reveals that Eminem respectfully declined to be featured on "Daughters"
“Every record I do is not a battle… I sent it to Eminem and he was like, 'Thank you, but I told my daughter I'm not doing any more songs directly about daughters at the moment'."pic.twitter.com/BKswDbVz30
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) December 15, 2025
